Jan 6 plaque to be displayed on Capitol's Senate side

The plaque honoring law enforcement who responded to the Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot will be displayed in the Senate wing of the building, after senators passed a resolution for the temporary placement.

Congress had approved the plaque more than three years ago, and it was required to be installed at the West front of the Capitol in 2023, The Associated Press reported. However, House Speaker Mike Johnson said that the plaque, as constructed, does not comply with the law.

On Thursday, the Senate unanimously voted to install the plaque. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., announced on Tuesday, the fifth anniversary of the riot, that he would seek to ensure the plaque is installed. Tillis partnered with Democratic Sens. Jeff Merkley of Oregon, who was also working on the situation, and Alex Padilla of California.

“A lot of people said it was a dark day for democracy,” Tillis said about the riot, describing his memory of hearing thousands of “thugs” lay siege to the Capitol as Congress was tallying the 2020 presidential election results.

He said that because of law enforcement, Jan. 6 instead became a great day for democracy.

“We came back and completed our constitutional duty to certify the election,” Tillis said. “We owe them eternal gratitude and this nation is stronger because of them.”

He explained that part of the “technical implementation problem” of the plaque was a concern that the law specified it would honor all the officers involved, but the plaque only lists the various law enforcement agencies that responded to help the Capitol Police that day.

Tillis said there will be a digital component, likely a website, that will list all the names of the officers. Thousands of officers responded on Jan. 6.

The new resolution instructs the Architect of the Capitol to “prominently display” the plaque in a “publicly accessible” location in the Senate wing of the Capitol until it can be placed in its permanent location.